Panel fastener



Jan. 5,1954 J. D. FIGLEY PANEL FASTENER Filed April 4, 1949 I n water Fig.4.

W l m F 0 a m 0 v Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PANEL FASTENER James D. Figley, Defiance, Ohio Application April 4, 1949, Serial No. 85,316

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to manually operable fasteners such as are used for temporarily, but securely, mounting an insertable and removable panel in a frame and has reference in particular to a panel turn-button fastener assembly of a type which is now commonly employed in connection with combination storm doors wherein interchangeable screen and window panels are employed.

As a general proposition the door frame is rabbeted and the panel frame is fitted into the accommodation opening provided therefor in the door frame and the vertical frame members of the door frame and panel frame respectively have registerable grooves or recesses to accommodate two or more turn-button type fasteners, the latter being rotatably mounted in the verical members of the door frame. The turn button is projectable and retractable and when projected, bridges the existing spaces between the panel frame members and door frame members and locks the panel in position in the door frame in a well known manner. Usually the turn-button is mounted on and turns with the complemental rotatably mounted bolt, screw, stud or the like having a headed end with a screw driver kerf permitting the fastener to be conveniently operated with an ordinary screw driver. There are many examples of these types of fasteners, for instance those covered in a patent to F. J. Sullivan 2,018,098 of October 22, 1935, and another patent to E. C. Loetacher 2,073,897 of March 16, 1937.

In carrying out the principles of the instant invention I desire to improve upon those types of turn-button fasteners which are known to me. This is accomplished, in part, by providing a headed screw-fastener with a screw driver kerf in the head and the shank, the latter being tapered so that it is polygonal in cross-section and also wedge-shaped in a longitudinal or axial direction, the same being jammed and fitted frictionally into an elongated slot provided in the manually turnable turn-button.

Another object of the invention has to do with the use of a headed fastener which takes the form of a screw, the shank being filed or other wise milled on diametrically opposite sides to provide the aforementioned wedge-shaped shank with threaded longitudinal edges, the kerf in the head being lined up with the wedge-shaped shank and also with the slot in the turn-button so that, when assembled the kerf serves as a convenient visible signal showing when the turn- 2 button is projected and latched and when it is retracted and therefore unlatched.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a so-called combination type storm door with a screen in place and showing my improved fastener, the same being locked or latched;

Figure 2 is a perspective view based on Figure 1 with the frame and screen separated and in angular relationship to show most of the essential features with which we are here concerned;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section showing additional structural features;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section which may be said to be on the line 44 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the latch or turn-button.

Referring to the drawings and to Figures 1 and 2 I conveniently designate that part which may be called the door or outer frame by the numeral 7. This may be a door frame structure such as is used in constructing currently employed combination storm doors. The insertable and removable screen panel is denoted by the numeral 8., This comprises frame members one of which is denoted by the numeral 9 and which serves for retention of a head or strip II] which holds in place the screen wire or fabric I I. The frame member 9 is provided with a mortise l2 providing a keeper. The vertical frame member on the opposite side of the screen (not shown) is likewise mortised and in fact there are two fasteners used under most circumstances but they may be employed in pairs of upper and lower sets making two sets for each panel. It is understood too that although I have shown the screen panel the invention is also applied to the regular glazed panel or window (not shown). Usually the glazed panel is placed in the door during the winter and the screen is then removed and conditions are reversed during the summer season. As stated, all of these phases and factors are known in the trade and need not be explained in greater detail. It might be mentioned however, that the vertical door frame member l3 with which we are here concerned is rabbeted to provide an abutment M which serves to back up and hold the screen panel against displacement in one direction. The improved latch means holds it against displacement in the opposite direction. The frame member I 3 has a mortise 15 which is also a keeper and which registers with the keeper groove 12. The keeper I5 is somewhat deeper than the one [2 and serves to house the complete latch or turn-button when it is in released or unlatched position.

The latch or fastener assembly comprises a fiat elongated plate which may be conveniently described as a turn-button l6 and, if desired, has rounded end portions I1 and I8 which constitute the coacting detents. These types of turnbuttons rotate through a circle of 360 degrees and either end I 1 or I 8 is projected to provide the latching or looking result as is commonly known. The frame member i3 is mortised and bored at right angles to the keeper [5 and the inner end portion of the bore is denoted at IS in Figure 4. The main outer end of the bore serves to accommodate a flanged suitably apertured metal cupshaped bushing 20 for the head 2| of the headed fastener. The headed fastener in this instance is a screw the enlarged head of which has a screwdriver kerf 22. The shank is blunt-ended and gradually reduced i-n'thickness and flattened on diametrically opposite sides, the flattened surfaces being denoted by the numerals 23. This tapered shank provides a wedge and the latter is adapted to have a friction driven or so-called press-fit (see Fig. 4) in the rectangular slot 24 provided in the central portion of the turnbutton. The threads on opposite longitudinal edges are denoted by the numerals 2 5.

It will be noticed that the lengthwise direction of the kerf corresponds to the polygonal crosssection of the tapered or wedge-shaped shank and also lines up with the elongated slot 24. Thus, in assembling the parts, the shank is fitted into the cup and forced through the bore and by keeping the kerf horizontal and keeping the turn -bu'tton horizontal, the shank may be readily registered with the slot 24. Then, it is forced through the slot until it is wedged frictionally and stays put, thus keying the shank to the turnbutton and converting the several parts (cup 20, turnbutton I6 and screw-fastener) into a single latching device or assembly. This horizontal aligning of the kerf, shank and slot is also advantageous because the kerf can then be used as a sort of a guide or signal and it will enable the user to ascertain when the latch ends l1 and I8 are horizontal and fitting into the respective keeper mortises l2 and 15 or when the turnbutton is rotated and swung completely to reced ing or out-of-the-way position within the confines of the keeper it. As a general rule since it is difficult to tell when the latch is on or off this simple signalling arrangement is highly advantageous. The principal feature, however, is the wedge-shaped form of the shank of the headed fastener having a friction held or driven fit inthesl'ot 24 of the turn-button IS.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufficient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and arrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the claimed as new is:

l. A panel turn-button fastener assembly for insertable and removable screens and glazed panels such as are used in connection with combination storm doors comprising a flat elongated plate constituting a turn-button adapted to 'releasably cooperate with keeper mortises provided therefor in a frame member, said turnbutton being provided with a longitudinally disposed non-circular keying slot, a bushing adapted to be mounted in a bore provided therefor in said frame member, and an assembling and retaining screw-fastener for said bushing and turn-button embodying a shank having an enlarged head on one end, said head being mounted for rotation in the bushing, said shank being non-circular in cross-section and longitudinally tapered from the head toward its opposite end and being thus wedge-shaped in longitudinal section, said shank extending through and beyond said slot and being wedged in place in the slot and opera't-ively joining said bushing, turn-button and screw-fastener in assembled relation.

2. A panel turn-button fastener assembly comprising, in combination, a turn-button having a substantially rectangular slot, a cup-shaped bushing having a centrally apertured bottom portion and a screw-fastener, the latter comprising a shank blunt at one end and having an enlarged head on its opposite end, said shank passing through and beyond the aperture in said bushing and seating said head rotatably in the receptacle portion of said bushing, said shank being approximately rectangular in cross-section, diametrically opposite sides of said shank being flattened and inclined from said head and converging toward said blunt end and rendering said shank wedge-shaped in lengthwise section, that portion of the shank adjacent to said head being of a transverse cross-sectional thickness greater than the transverse width of said slot and said thickened portion of the shank passing through said slot and being thus press-fitted and frictionally lodged in the slot, whereby said bushing, turn-button, and screw-fastener are interconnected and are thus joined to provide a three-part assembly.

invention, what is JAMES D. F'IGLEY.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 383,834 Stilwell a May29, 1888 741,153 Malmquist Oct. .13., 1903 1,878,544 Schmidt Sept. .20., 1932 1,987,474 Grant Jan. 8,, 1935 2,018,098 Sullivan Oct. 22, 1935 

